Are you a pet-sitting nosey parker?

No, I wouldn’t!

I suppose they might say they were checking that everything was in order but unless you’ve asked them to do that, they shouldn’t be poking around.

Absolutely not! I frequently look after a neighbour’s cats but would not dream of going anywhere except where the cats’ food is kept and served. I have been in all their rooms by invitation anyway.

No! Even when I'd cat-sat for my son, I never went into ANY room but the kitchen.

I've got 3 CCTV cameras at my house (outside) and once discovered that the "professional" company I'd paid to call in to feed my cats (3 of them then) had been for 3 minutes instead of the 45 I'd paid for! He hadn't given one of them her medication for 3 days, and he'd called round at noon instead of 8 am, the time we'd agreed on. My son's friend now cat-sits for us - he's known my cat for 9 years and has got cats of his own, so I trust him entirely.

Of course we'd not want our pet sitters wandering around and I imagine most people wouldn't do it.

I'm not that keen on having cameras in the home though. It's rather dodgy territory and pet sitters have the right to privacy.

Just found this article. It's illegal in some countries to film people without their knowledge.

housesittingworld.com/2018/05/28/house-sitting-reality-security-cameras/

I’m certain that homeowners would be horrified to find their hotel, bed and breakfast, or Airbnb manager is watching and/or listening to them without disclosure.

This, I’m certain they’d argue, would constitute an invasion of their privacy, which begs the question, how is doing this to your house-sitter not an invasion of theirs?

House-sitters should have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

No I wouldn’t, but I would be very upset to find out that I had been filmed without my consent whilst doing my job.

In fact I wouldn’t be upset, I would be outraged and I don’t get cross very often.

Absolutely, Oopsadaisy. Discreet concealed cameras in your home spying on people you've engaged to do a job there? That's a shocking invasion of privacy.

Just as Oopsminty said - so so wrong to video without consent.

I agree with other posters - a gross intrusion of privacy.

discrete security cameras

Do you mean concealed or separate security cameras, OP?

Just wondering, was it someone you paid, or a friendly (nosey perhaps) neighbour? Were they staying over in your home, or just popping in once or twice a day?

Callistemon

^discrete security cameras^

Do you mean concealed or separate security cameras, OP?

I suspect OP meant discreet - don’t you?

I did wonder
Everywhere? In each room?
Or hidden?

The cameras are part of a home security system that my pet sitters know is there.

most homesecurity systems check the periphery of the house not individual rooms. Creepy. Do you keep it on when you have other visitors, like your children, friends or grandchildren?

I think I'd put my pets in kennels /cattery/ rabbit, guinea pig, hamster hotel.

Is there a camera in the bathroom?
The pet sitters might investigate the cupboards in there too.

MaryTheBookeeper

The cameras are part of a home security system that my pet sitters know is there.

So if the pet sitters know you have cameras why were they poking around your home?

I water my DDs house plants , she moves them all into the kitchen/ living room, but this week she has moved some of them to my house ! Does she think I wander from room to room ? ?

An interesting question. I work in home care and we welcome our customers having cameras as it is a reassurance for the relations and a reassurance for the carers that they will not be accused of things they have not done. We expect to be told cameras are in place and it is now very common. If it is OK in care surely it is more than OK in petsitting?

My son's cat is not allowed outside but has a range of hiding places within a very small house and used to disappear when I went to feed him; I was terrified he had somehow slipped out when I opened the door. A friend's cat went missing when a friend came to feed it during a long weekend. When the owner returned home the feeder was distraught, more so when the cat was discovered shut in the spare bedroom; she had not searched the house.
So there may be a rational reason.

For years I always watered plants and picked up post for neighbours ( they had a glass door panel which revealed post on the floor - dead give away the house was empty). Always popped upstairs and peeped inside their bedroom to check the ceiling for leaks as we had come home to a couple after holidays. I always told them I did it. Took me all of a couple of seconds, never looked around except to ensure all was safe. They even left me insurance numbers to ring if anything was wrong. Absolutely hate the idea of a nosey person in a house and would never want or be interested in behaving like that.

I've done lots of house and pet sitting in the past and can honestly say that I have never gone into a room nor opened a cupboard which I didn't need to. The way to behave is to treat other people's houses as you would want yours to be treated.
I dislike nosey people.

No I wouldn't snoop but I also wouldn't pet sit for anyone who had indoor security cameras. You either trust your pet sitter or you don't.

Furthermore , the law states guests must consent , preferably in writing to you using those cameras whilst they are in your home. There's also the issue of data protection laws which also applies to video footage. How do you dispose or erase it? Do you have a policy?

I wont lie , I'm horrified that you thought it was ok to do that .

My friend was sure that her MIL was snooping to find fault when babysitting, so she booby-trapped the oven so that a pile of tins fell out.

I have been known to trap a slip of paper or a hair into the opening of closed drawers or doors to see if they were disturbed, which they usually were.